Book Trader

I absolutely adore this crazy shop. It’s the first place you should think «I really need (X completely random or bizarre item) where could I find it?»
A treasure. Be warned about dust though if you have allergies. And while there isn’t anything inappropriate, per se, personally I would set a bottom age limit for kids of 10 or 12 years old. Partly due to being able to absorb it all, not knock things over, the odor and the animal heads. But I am not a parent, and of course you all know your kids best :).
I just know I don’t have the patience or powers of explanation to take my six year old nephew there (what’s this? Why is this here? What is THIS? Will buy me that? Where is the kids’ stuff?)

I was meandering around the neighborhood near The Wellness Center before an appointment and stumbled upon The Book Trader. I really enjoy wandering around a book store, so I stepped inside.
When you walk in it is understandable to be overwhelmed. It feels like there are a million little knick-​knacks and books lining every possible square inch of the place.
The owner and keeper of the store appeared behind the counter and kindly asked if there was anything I was looking for in particular. I told her I might be interested in some eastern mysticism and she showed me to a back room, which also included classics, erotica, war stories and piles and piles of various sub-​genre. I found a Nabokov, a translation of the Bhagavad Gita, Steinbeck, and more. I enjoy searching through piles, as if at an estate or garage sale, so The Book Trader’s sensibilities work for me.
I didn’t spend much time admiring all the weirdness besides that one room — I only had thirty minutes after all — but I can tell this is a place I will want to make time for before or after my next appointment at The Wellness Center.
A messy bookstore is an interesting one.

My heart breaks for how hard it is to find shops this unique anymore. Fluffy is one of the savviest shop owners I’ve ever met with a memory kept razor sharp and you can tell that’s why her business is a success. A messy house means an organized mind and when I asked about Arthur C Clarke, Calvin and Hobbes, and Julia Child, Fluffy was able to lead me exactly to where I needed to look or told me what she was out of and what was available instead.
The shelves are packed from floor to ceiling with books, that are still meticulously organized by author and genre so in spite of the clutter, everything was well organized. There were also taxidermy relics from parakeets to deer’s heads to even an elephant’s foot. Dolls from every country on the planet, glass figures, bells, masks, Buddhas, video cassettes, and almost anything that comes to mind.
She wrapped up a lovely 1970s hardcover copy of an HG Wells collection in pink leopard print tissue paper from Victoria’s Secret and the striped bag to match for my man’s birthday present. Instead of grabbing the usual cheap printed souvenir spoon from the airport for my collection, I asked what she had, and I went home the proud owner of a silver spoon from the 1957 centennial celebration of Minneapolis.
If you’re going to keep trinkets in your house, you might as well have them as interesting as Book Traders’. Locals, travelers, everyone, stop by and support this awesome lady’s business.
Also don’t leave your donations on her stoop or she’ll be fined. Talk to the lady directly if you have things you want to bring in.

I have been here a few times to buy a home and gardening book. This is not my first place to choose to buy a book, but it is a decent place.
Even though the size is small, there is a big selection of books from which to choose. I feel like they will always (or almost always) have a book that I need anytime I go in there. I have never failed to walk out of there with a book purchase. I have looked through all of their sections, and every section has a large variety.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere is unusual. It smells like a combination of an old book store and a place that has not been dusted in a while. The smell is not strong, nor is it the worst thing in the world. However, this is not one of those atmospheres of which I can be inside for very long. Perhaps, a candle or some kind of essence would help resolve this issue.
Also, the cleanliness and order need a lot of work. The appearance is not very welcoming. There have been times when I was looking for a book, and I had a hard time finding what I was looking for because everything in the section was disorganized. It feels like the books were stacked in sections by random. There have been instances when it has taken me a while to find the particular book I have in mind.
To their benefit, the woman in the front desk is always friendly and resourceful. She is always around to answer any questions I may have and to point me in the right direction. The thing that amazes me is that even though the place is cluttered, she knows where every book is. I have no idea how she does it. Therefore, I do not feel like I have to spend all day looking.
When I am in the area and need a good home and gardening book, I will continue coming here only if the woman in the front desk can lead me the right direction in finding a book I need. Better organization of the books will make me rate this place higher.

This place is so weird.
I love weird.
That being said, I came here after reading an article about this shop (and I was getting an oil change across the street). Its so odd. Its so wonderful.
It smells odd, looks odd, and is very messy. All the rumors are true.
Its owned by a little old woman who knows where everything is. Don’t come here expecting to find something on your own. I came in, looking for The Dubliner, asked her, and she took me to some tiny random room. She picked up a stack on the floor and told me this was the Irish pile, and magically, there the book was.
The shop is bigger than it looks and also has some odd nic-​nacks and «artifacts» of sorts. I got a small glass jewelry box while I was there.
The prices are decent, maybe a smidge higher than Half Price Books. Come here for the experience, for sure.

I can agree that it’s an odd store. I’m also not a fan of digging through «stuff» to find anything and this place is crowded with TONS of stuff, If you’re claustrophobic you probably aren’t going to love this place BUT if you’re looking for a book, you can call her and she knows every single title that she has in the place and she sells them at a reasonable price. That kind of service rates 4 stars from me.

Wow — what an experience. If you love thrift stores and old bookstores or yard sales — this place is for you. As the other reviews noted — this store is nuts — just tons and tons of stuff. Some absolute treasures — old books, wacky taxidermy, unique clothing. I loved it — but it isn’t for most people.

Oh book trader… you really get the impression that if you hang out there long enough you can find… oh, pretty, much anything. Really. Anything. The last time I drove by, I screeched to a halt, to the dismay of the cars following me. in the window was a hand. Ceramic, large, showing the areas of the hand used for palmistry. I KNOW I’ve seen them in a woody allen movie. Last time I went there, the owner said, «bye now, and thanks for the teeth.» Nuff said

Ugh, this place is nasty. I usually love stores piled with crap, but this isn’t good crap, it’s crappy crap. Like stuff from people’s garage sales that no one wants. There was no heat, so our toes got cold. And too much incense was burning, I think to cover up a gross smell. Everything was at least $ 25, and a lot of stuff was falling apart. Then there was tons of taxidermy. Tasteless taxidermy. I usually love that kind of stuff too, but it wansn’t respectful. Like, why is there a big jar filled with liquid and what appears to be puppy carcasses? Under a big pile of papers? Or a taxidermied dog laying on a pile of junk? I never want to go here again.

When you walk in you get a definite wiccan aura. It might scare the born again crowd. It’s hard to tell where anything’s located, so just check with the owner at the desk. She knows every book in the place and has a memory like a steel trap. She is genuinely disappointed if she doesn’t have a book you’re looking for. I head over about twice a year, since I have nearly every book in my collections, many from this place. I took off one star, because it is hard to get around. There’s even a small parking area on the side of the building. Books are a good price and cheaper if you bring one in she can use. Definitely a book collectors paradise.